The other concern is only for those of us who tend to drive aggressively. My side-seat-cruise-control now has an unobstructed view of the speedometer (as does anyone else in the car) and since the centre stack with climate and stereo controls is right underneath, she has plenty of reasons to look in that direction. So much for my extra 15 km/h.
You may think I'm making a big deal out of the 15 km/h, but the Yaris is so easy to drive and can be an absolute blast to zip around in, that you forget the main reasons for getting one. In theory people buy a Yaris for fuel economy, carrying capacity and comfort in daily driving.
Flexible Use
What I see is a car that can zip around town and fit into nearly every parking space in the city. Yaris is easy to get in and out of, which is a huge bonus in the city where you get in and out hundreds of times a week. It means that zipping about town from lane to lane can be done easily. The large glass area means trips to the mall, school or work can now be relaxing instead of hair-raising.
If your Yaris has to do double duty as the summer vacation and visit the relatives car, comfort is still a watch word. Front and rear seats are comfortable to be in for hours and the large greenhouse lets you watch the scenery go by, and to keep an eye out for that wayward deer that likes to feed in the ditch. It is good to know that the Yaris handles well enough and will stop fast enough that your chances of actually missing the critter are very good.
Suspension and Ride
One of my more pleasant findings was that the Yaris didn't act like it was going to come apart if you hit a pot hole. I was able to miss most of them, but every once in a while the odds caught up with me. There was usually a noise in the car and a bit of a bounce if the hole was big enough, but that was about it. Tar strips and other small road bumps came across as more of a tire slap on the road than an actual bump that caused the suspension to work.
Models Available
Yaris is now available as a sedan, with a real trunk, if you don't happen to like the three- or five-door hatchback versions. According to Toyota, all you have to do is like one well enough to buy it, and that shouldn't be a problem.
photo:Charles Renny
You may think I'm making a big deal out of the 15 km/h, but the Yaris is so easy to drive and can be an absolute blast to zip around in, that you forget the main reasons for getting one. In theory people buy a Yaris for fuel economy, carrying capacity and comfort in daily driving.
Flexible Use
What I see is a car that can zip around town and fit into nearly every parking space in the city. Yaris is easy to get in and out of, which is a huge bonus in the city where you get in and out hundreds of times a week. It means that zipping about town from lane to lane can be done easily. The large glass area means trips to the mall, school or work can now be relaxing instead of hair-raising.
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| In theory people buy a Yaris for fuel economy, carrying capacity and comfort in daily driving. |
If your Yaris has to do double duty as the summer vacation and visit the relatives car, comfort is still a watch word. Front and rear seats are comfortable to be in for hours and the large greenhouse lets you watch the scenery go by, and to keep an eye out for that wayward deer that likes to feed in the ditch. It is good to know that the Yaris handles well enough and will stop fast enough that your chances of actually missing the critter are very good.
Suspension and Ride
One of my more pleasant findings was that the Yaris didn't act like it was going to come apart if you hit a pot hole. I was able to miss most of them, but every once in a while the odds caught up with me. There was usually a noise in the car and a bit of a bounce if the hole was big enough, but that was about it. Tar strips and other small road bumps came across as more of a tire slap on the road than an actual bump that caused the suspension to work.
Models Available
Yaris is now available as a sedan, with a real trunk, if you don't happen to like the three- or five-door hatchback versions. According to Toyota, all you have to do is like one well enough to buy it, and that shouldn't be a problem.
photo:Charles Renny
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